About This Special Issue
In agriculture, farmers use numerous pesticides to protect crops and seeds before and after harvesting. Pesticide is a term used in broad sense for organic toxic compounds used to control insects, bacteria, weeds, nematodes, rodents and other pests. The pesticide residues may enter into the food chain through air, water and soil. They affect ecosystems and cause several health problems to animals and humans. Pesticides can be carcinogenic and cytotoxic. They can produce bone marrow and nerve disorders, infertility, and immunological and respiratory diseases. Detection of pesticides at the levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) remains a challenge. Chromatographic methods coupled to selective detectors have been traditionally used for pesticide analysis due to their sensitivity, reliability and efficiency. Nevertheless, they are time-consuming and laborious, and require expensive equipment and highly-trained technicians. Due to the large amounts of pesticides commonly used and their impact on health, prompt and accurate pesticide analysis is important. Optical, electrochemical and piezoelectric biosensors have been reported based on the pesticide detection method. Especially enzyme biosensors for pesticide detection are based on measurements of enzyme inhibition or on direct measurements of compounds involved in the enzymatic reaction. So that determination of pesticide effects on enzymes lead to design biosensors.
Aims and Scope:
- In vitro effects of pesticides
- Pesticide biosensors
- Enzyme inhibition
- Environment chemistry
- Biochemistry
- The mode of action of plant protection agents such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and similar compounds